VICTIMS’ LAWYERS GREASE ADVOCACY GROUPS

Catalyst October Issue 2003

We’ve long suspected it, but now we know it to be true: there is an unsavory link between some victims’ lawyers and some victims’ advocacy groups. In the September 15 edition of Forbes magazine, Dan Lyons detailed with precision how some lawyers for alleged victims of priestly misconduct have generously donated to victims’ advocacy groups.

For example, SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) receives more money from Laurence E. Drivon than anyone else ($20,000 last year alone); Drivon is one of the most active victims’ attorneys in the nation. Jeffrey Anderson, who has made tens of millions of dollars suing the Catholic Church, is also one of SNAP’s biggest donors. Then there is Michael S. Morey, a victims’ lawyer known for writing generous checks to another victims’ advocacy group, Linkup.

This was too much for us. The odor that this relationship emitted led us to release the following statement to the media:

“The nexus has now been revealed: victims’ lawyers are greasing victims’ advocacy groups. Shame on SNAP and Linkup for allowing these lawyers to pimp them. If this were happening in the corporate world, everyone would see this as another Enron scam. But just because it involves the Catholic Church, those who are hostile to the Church will no doubt find it difficult to slam SNAP and Linkup.

“Nonetheless, the mask has now been pulled off SNAP and Linkup. How dare they lecture attorneys for the Catholic Church for defending their client in an aggressive manner when they are on the dole of their sycophant lawyers. If ethical standards mean anything to them, they will immediately announce that they will model themselves on Survivors First and forswear any funding from victims’ attorneys in the future. No wonder these groups are holding out for more money in Boston—the more they can squeeze the Church the more their rebate is likely to be.”

No sooner had our news release been sent out when a frantic woman from SNAP called our office to say she was going to refute in writing everything the Forbes piece said that was untrue. We said we looked forward to reading it. We still do—weeks have passed and she still hasn’t sent it. To make sure that our side didn’t miss this important article, we mailed it (along with our news release) to every cardinal and bishop in the nation. It is our hope that their lawyers put it to good use.